


She Observes the Affairs of Her Household and Does Not Eat the Bread of Idleness

by gnomi



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-30 07:24:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1015776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gnomi/pseuds/gnomi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Proverbs 31: 10-31, as seen through Elizabeth Burke's eyes</p>
            </blockquote>





	She Observes the Affairs of Her Household and Does Not Eat the Bread of Idleness

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Caffrey-Burke Day 2013. Thanks to for coming up with the observance [in honor of the debut of "White Collar" on 23 October 2009](http://rabidchild.livejournal.com/142910.html). This is a sequel to my effort from last year, ["A Value Beyond Pearls."](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1015460)

As Elizabeth walked through the door, she heard Neal and Peter’s voices coming from the dining room.

“And if the court suspects there is forgery in the shtar, the document, there are compulsory measures that can induce the plaintiff to confess that his suit was brought based on a falsified document. According to my reading of the _daf_ , it sounds like they were tied up and flogged, but I’m probably mistranslating that.” Neal smiled. “There is a lot of flogging mentioned in _halacha_ , but Jewish law doesn’t usually really use it as a punishment. And, anyway, the punishment wouldn’t fit the crime, because forgery itself isn’t a criminal offense.”

Ah, right. It was Thursday night. _Chevrutah night_. Neal and Peter were studying together.

“Ooh, kinky,” Elizabeth said with a smile as she entered the room. “I never thought the ancient rabbis were into that sort of thing.”

“Oh, you should meet some of the rabbis I’ve known,” Neal responds, his expression the epitome of wicked.

“Come on, focus. You mean forgery isn’t a criminal offense according to Jewish law?” Peter asked, frowning at the page in front of him.

“It’s not like _halacha_ approves of it,” Neal said, “it’s just that it’s not *criminal*. And through the generations, Jewish contracts have evolved so that forgery and tampering with documents is more obvious.”

“So you’d be out of luck there,” Peter said with a laugh.

“How’s it going, boys?” Elizabeth asked, surveying the array of books on the table. She recognized a volume of the Talmud with English translation, one that was solely in the original Hebrew and Aramaic, a Jastrow dictionary of Talmud terms, and a couple of other books that she couldn’t begin to guess what they were.

“Good?” Peter said, clearly unsure of how it was actually going.

“Not bad,” Neal agreed. “We’re making headway. This is not an easy _daf_.” At Elizabeth’s confused look, Neal said, “A page of Talmud.”

“And you just happen to be learning about forgery?” 

“Why not learn something of interest to both of us?” Neal asked.

“And it’s not like we haven’t had to already deal with attempted forgery within the Jewish community,” Peter said. “I don’t know how ‘Rabbi Mozkowitz’ thought he’d get away with the doctored marriage contract.”

“First of all, Peter, Moz is only sort of part of the Jewish community. And, second, the guy was refusing to give his wife a get, a religious divorce. That left her an _agunah_ , the religious equivalent of an abandoned woman, still technically married to the jerk and unable to marry someone else. And it’s not like he *knew* what the _ketubah_ said, anyway. It’s read under the chuppah, at the wedding, but it’s in Aramaic. And even though the officiant always reads a gloss of the document in English, it’s never read in full. So if Moz stuck in a clause that said that the jerk had to give up his Fifth Avenue penthouse if they divorced, who really suffers other than a guy who had it coming?”

“So you’re going to depend on Isaiah on this one?” Peter asked. “‘Observe what is right and do what is just’? What if what you think is right is not what is just?”

“While I am impressed with the progress you’ve made in _Nevi’im_ , the books of the prophets, I can’t see how we can do anything else. In _Devarim_ , Deuteronomy, it says, ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue.’ Isn’t that what you’re sworn to do, pursue justice?” 

“But..."

“You’ve said it yourself. Sometimes David has to pick up his slingshot and fight for what is right.”

El shook her head, knowing the two men would be going at this for a while. “Good night, boys. Peter, don’t forget to turn off the light over the sink when you come up.” She gave each man a kiss on the head. “Don’t stay up too late.”

“Love you, hon. I’ll be up soon.” He wouldn’t, El knew, but she let him believe that she believed him.

“Sleep well, Elizabeth. I’ll see you soon.” Neal gave her an affectionate smile.

As she headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs toward the bedroom, she heard Neal and Peter pick up their debate about doing what is right versus doing what is just. This learning together that they’ve been doing, it seemed to be good for both of them. 

“C’mon, Satch,” she said to the dog, who was lying on the bed. “Let’s go to sleep. It’s no use waiting for them.” She patted Satch’s head until he stood, shook himself, and jumped off the bed to head to his own doggy bed in the corner.

As she settled into the bed, she listened to the rhythm of the conversation still continuing downstairs. Tomorrow Neal and Peter would go out again and face who knew what, but tonight they were safe and accounted for. Tonight, she thought, she had no fear for the wellbeing of her household. Not that she had clothed them in scarlet wool -- and not that she’d ever tell Neal that she’d read the relevant section of Proverbs after hearing him discuss its modern applications -- but she had seen to their needs, and she knew they were provided for. 

What more could the Woman of Valor ask for?

END


End file.
